Apparatus for cooling compressor valves and compressed fluids



` May 20, 1930. l. L.. DUNN ET AL '1,759,301

APPARATUS FOR COOLING COMPRESSOR VALVES AND COMPRESSED FLUIDS Filed Feb.23, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 ///////ll/l/l/// da f5. Lew/2s,

TTORNEY May 20, 1930. l, L DUNN ET AL 1,759,301

APPARATUS FOR COOLING COMPRESSOR VALVES AND COMPRESSED FLUIDS Filed F65l25, 1928 z sheets-shea; 2

ATToRNYr A Y Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES IRWIN I.. DUNNANDVJAMES o. `LEWIS, or' TULSaoKLAHOMA APPARATUS FOR COOLING COMPRESSOR`VALVES AND COMPRESSED FLUIDS vApplication led February 23, 1928. SerialNo. 256,304.

Our invention relates to valves of that char-l acter adaptable for usein connection with compresso-rs employed for compressing air or gases orin the manufacture of casing head 5 gasoline; the principal objects ofthe invention being-to prevent distortion of the discharge valve andadjacent parts of the co-mpressor mechanism by heat transferred from thecompressed fluid, to, eliminate explosions,

10 and to facilitate condensation of liquid components of the fluid.v v

In accomplishing-such objects of our inven-y Fig. 3 is a detailperspective sectional viewy of a discharge valve constructed inaccordance with our invention. Y Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View ofthe several elements of the discharge valve, shown in spaced butrelative relation.

Referring more in detailto the drawings: 1 designates a compressor,including t e 35 cylinder 2 which may be supplied through an intakelline 3 in accordance with common practice, and 4 a piston operable inthe compressor chamber 5 and having a rod 6 operably connected with anengine 7 in accordance with 'common practice. y

As the fluid delivered 4to the compressor is comparatively cool but isheated to'high teinperat-ure as an incident of compression, ourinvention has no relation to the intake of such fiuid to the compressor'but is concerned only with the discharge of the fluid. Consequently, noreferencewill be made tothe intake end of the compressor, but it is tobe understood that in multiple stage compressors each stage isvsimilarly supplied with cooling apparatus as shown for the single stagecompressor herein.

As the compressor is double-acting and the cooling mechanism duplicatedat opposite endsy of the piston chamber, but one mechanism will bedescribed, with the understandlionghthat such description relatesequally to Each of the heads 8 of the compressor is provided with adischarge port 9 opening to a valve chamber 10 preferably circular incross section and communicating with a channel 11 constituting amanifold having outletV through a port 12 to a line 13l whereby fluidcompressed by the piston and delivered to the valve is conducted to asuitable condenser presently described. The line 13 is preferablyattached to the compressor housing by attachment of a plate 14, intowhich the line is threaded, to the housing by bolts 15.

Located within the valve chamber 10v is al discharge valve 16 ofordinary construction except or the improvements hereinafterspecifically mentioned and comprising a housing 17 having open ports18-in a restricted neck 19 terminating in a tubular throat 20, the bodyof thehousing snugly fitting within the inner portion of the annularchamber 10.

Covering the housing 17 is a valve seat plate 22 provided withaplurality of segmental slots 23 through which the comi pressed fluid maybe delivered from thecompression chamber,the platev being shouldered toseat on the valve housing and center the plateA in the housing. f

24 designates a pin having a head 25 seated in a countersunk recess 26in the top of the seating plate 22, a collar 27 extended through anannular aperture 28 inthe plate 22, and a shank v29 extended below theplate 22 comprising a smooth portion 31 adjacent the collar 27 and athreaded portion 32 extending to the end ofthe pin. Located on thesmooth portion 31 of the pin 25 is a valve stop plate 34 havingsegmental slots 35 corresponding to and adaptedfor registration withslots 23 in the valve seating plate 22, the plate 34 being shouldered onits under surface to reduce its mass and resultant heat retention.

The valve stop plate 34 is held against the 1 Y shoulder formed at thelower end of the collar 27 on pin 24, by a nut36 and a bushing 37,

both threaded onto the Vshank 29 of the pin; vthe bushingextendingthrough the throat 20 of the valve housing and carrying a nut 38 whichengages the end of the housing throat to bind the,l valve seating plate'22 to the hous- Yl D ing through'connection of the bushing with the pin24. Y y Y Y The bushing37isabutted at its outerend Vby abushing'40'threaded into a bottom plate 41 screwed tothe compressorhousing by bolts 42 to enclose the valve chamber, the discharge valveVbeing therefore supportedon the bushing 40 and removable as abodyfromthe valve chamber 'when .the bottom'plate 41 is Y removed fromthe compressor housing.v

` lInterposed Vbetween the valve seating plate 22 and the valve stopplate 34 isa valve disk 44 having a smooth central aperture 45 inwhichthe smoothr portion 27 vof the 'shank' f 29 of the pin 24 is located,the ,-valvedisk 44 being of considerable less thickness than thelengthfofthe portion oit' the sleeve 27 of pin 24 remaining below thevalve seating plate 22, so that the valve disk may move vertically vonthepin between". the :seating and stop Y plates. rWe provide the Vdiskwith apertures 46-.and arrange the apertures to avoid registration withthe slots 23' of the valve seating l'plate but to register with theapertures 35 of the .valve stop plate, so that `V.when the valve disk islifted during intake stroke of the compressor-piston, it will be pulledagainst the valve seating plate and seal the slots 23 to prevent backflow to the vcompressor through the discharge valve, and When the valvedisk is at the other Ylimit of its movement, theopenings 46 willregister with the slots 35 in the valve 'stop plate and discharge thecompressed fluid. In order tol maintain such relation ofthe valve diskto the plates 22 and 34` and of 'the plates rela-V tive to 'each other,we provide the seating plate 22 with a downwardly projecting pin 47 fwhich extends through anaperture 48 in -the valve disk into a socket'49in the valve stop plate, thereby permitting vertical fluctuations of thevalve disks without permitting rotary movement of the valve disk rela-Ative to either of the plat-es or of the plates ,the sockets 51.

to Veach other.V The valve disk 44 seats on a plurality of springs 50retained in sockets 51 opening upwardly from the topfface of the valvestop plate 34, so that the valve disk 44 is always held up against thevalve plates 22 during the intake stroke. Reduced ports 51 extenddownwardly through the stop plate 34 from the sockets 51 so that a-cooling liquid `may flow through said ports into the valve chamberwhen'the valve disk is closed upon Up to this point wehave,lexcept ortheports 51', described only what is common in the construction of thistype of discharge supplied under pressure.

valves, but will now proceed with a descripn tion of the adaptation ofour improvement to Y 37 and connecting with the central channel 57extending through the pin 24 to nearthe head of the pin.V The channelV57 in the pin 24 has outlet `through ports 58 that extend radially tothe sleeve p'ortion 27 of said pin into cornmunication with radialchannels 59 Vin the valve seating plate 22 the channels 59 havingV f foutlet through downwardly openingV ports 60 onto the topfofthe valvedisk 44.

`By this means Vwater is admitted Vinto the line of flow when thedischarge valve is opened but is prevented from entering the compressorcylinder whenV the discharge valve is closed. We may also have Vtheports Y open through the apertures 46 of the valve` disk'44. n y f Thechannel 57 in the Ypin 24 also has lateral outlet through radial ports61 in the smooth portion 31 of the shank 29 of pin i 24 into radialchannels 62 inthe valve? stop plate 34, the channels 62 in turn havingoutlet to the vertically opening spring sockets 51 into the Vspace'belowthe `valve disk 44. Consequently, when water or other cooling liquid isdelivered under pressure from the pipe 54 through the bushings 40k and37 into y the interior of the pin 24, it is forced radially through thechannels in the valve'seating and stop plates into the valve chamber andonto opposite sides of the valve disk, thereby Y cooling the valve body,the seating andstopV plates, as well as the valve disk itself, toprevent distortion of the valve parts underexf treme heat generated bycompression or' the fluid in the cylinder, the cooling fluid furtherco-mingling with the compressed fluid to reduce its temperature and -topreventl eXplosions and stimulate condensation of the fluid in the flowline, the'condenser'coil and the separating receptacle, and to eliminateeX- plosionfhazards caused by ignition of comb ustible mixtures of airwith gases or lubri* eating oil` from the hot discharges, from thecompressor cylinder.

It is desirable' to supplyiwaterrin excess, v

that is, in quantity sufficient thatitwill cool the gases belowtheboilingpoint of the water and will wash the water, and other condens-vable vapors from the air or gas.

The water or cooling fluid may be sup-V plied to the compressor in thefollowing manner and by the following instrumentalities:

' receptacle 68. Y

. Opening froma relatively low level of the receptacle 64 is apipey 69for conductingY fwater which, being immiscible and of lower gravity thanthe gasoline, has settled to the bottom vof the receptacle, to a highpressure pump connected bya line 71 with the supply pipe 54 leading tothe discharge valve mechanism as presently described.

It will thus be seen .that the water is recycled; the water vapor,almost always present in air or gas, being condensed to make up anylosses and always providing a pure water that will not deposit mineralmatter in the valve or in the pipe. f

`The line 71 is preferably connected with the supply pipe 54 through afour-way union 72, whereby the supply line is also connected with thedischarge valve at the opposite end of the compressor by a branch 73, sothat the other discharge valve may be cooled as described in connectionwith the valve heretofore mentioned. The fitting is also provided with abranch 74 opening into the discharge line 13 so that the cooling watermay be coiningled with the compressed fluid leaving the compressormanifold to cool the fluid as it leaves the compressor and therebyfacilitate condensation and prevent overheating of the outlet line.

The high pressure pump may be operated through a transmission indicatedby the gear wheels 75 and pulley 76 and belt 77 from the drive shaft 78of the gas engine operating the compressor, thereby forming the entireapparatus into a compact unit entirely operable from a single source ofpower.

Assuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as described and thecompressor, for illustration, connected with the gas relief line from awell being pumped by the airv liftmethod, the operation is as follows:

The air, saturated with gasoline vapors, is admitted to the compressorand compressed in accordance with common practice. The compressed fluidheated to a high temperature by compression, is deliveredthrough thedischarge valve to the manifold chamber and out through the dischargeline to the condenser. During passage of the fluid through the valve,water under high pressure is delivered through the valve bushings andcenter pin into the valve seating plate and the valve stop plate andjetted into contact with the valve disk, being distributed over the sur-5 face of the disk and forced out over the edge o'f the disk into thevalve chamber to cool the mechanical parts and being Clo-mingled withthe compressed fluid to reduce temperature of the fluid. The compressedfluid passes onthrough the condenser into the separating receptaclewhere the gas land liquid separate, the gas being carried olf forrecirculation or other disposition, the gasoline or other high gravityliquid drained off from the upper outlet line, and the water pumped yolffrom a lower outlet line for re-us'e in cooling the compressor and fluiddischarged thereffrom. Y

Itis apparent that in accordance with our invention the cooling fluid isrecirculated i.

through the compressor and condenser in a closed circuit, therebyavoiding the scaling of pipes or conduits which would occurif fresh flow`of mineral-containing Water were employed.

While we have referred to compression of a specific kind of fluid, haveillustrated a spe cific form of compressor and condenser, and havementioned water as the cooling fluid employed, this has been merely toaid in eX- planation and without intent to limit scope of the invention.

y What we yclaim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

l. In a discharge valve of the character described, a member having achannel opening through its exterior surface, and means .for deliveringa cooling fluid lto said channel 2. In a discharge valve of thecharacter described, a valve seating plate having radial channelsopening through one of its faces to the exterior of the plate, and meansfor delivering cooling fluid to said channels to be discharged over thevalve seating plate.

3. In a valve of the character described, the combination of a centerpin having a longitudinal channel and lateral ports leading from thechannel, a valve seating plate having radial channels communicating withthe ports in said pin and opening through a face'of the plate, and meansfor delivering a cooling fluid under pressure to the pin channel.

4. In a valve of the character described, the combination of a centerpin having a longitudinal channel and lateral ports leading able betweenthe seating and stop plates, and i' means" for delivering a'co'olingluid'to said channels under pressure for discharging into the valvecut-olf plate. Y

6. In a valveof the character described, the combination of a centerpost having a lon- -gitudinalfchannel and tWo Vsets. of lateral portsopening from said channel, Vspaced valve seating and stop plates fixedon said Ypost having radial'channels communicating with respective setsof ports in the post and `'opening through facing sides of the plates, ap 'valve'cuteoff disk movable between Vthe plates,Y

and means for delivering cooling Huid under pressure to the channel insaid postfor delivering Ythrough' the plates into contact with Aoppositefaces of thevalve cut-off disk.

7. In a Vvalve of the character described, v

g the combination of a center post having a longitudinal channel and tWosets of lateral ports opening from said channel, spaced valve seatingand stop plates'ixed on said post havy ing radial channels communicatingWith respectlve sets of ports 1n the post and opening through facingsides of the plates, the side Y openings in the stop plate constitutingspring sockets, springs seated in said sockets, a valve cut-0H diskseated on said springs andr Inovable between the plates, and means fordelivery cooling luid under pressure to the l the valve cutoil' disk.

channel insaid post for delivering through the plates into contact withopposite faces of In testimony whereof We affix our signatures. y i

`IRWIN L. DUNN. JAMES o. LEWIS.

